Sean Avery Suspended 6 Games

The NHL today announced its decision in the ongoing Sean Avery madness, and the result is a six-game suspension, retroactive to Tuesday's game where this saga began. Avery is eligible to return to the Stars lineup on December 16 against Phoenix, though, it remains to be seen whether Dallas will welcome him back at that point.

Here's what commissioner Gary Bettman had to say on the suspension, via NHL.com:

"Mr. Avery has expressed remorse for his recent comments and has sought a professional anger management evaluation," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "I will require that he follow through with that process as a condition of his returning to the ice and that he complies with any and all recommendations."

Bettman also said that Avery has been warned "repeatedly about his conduct and comments which have too often been at odds with the manner in which his more than 700 fellow players conduct themselves."

No argument here. Though, in my opinion, the league suspending him for six games is a little much, considering that's triple the suspension Jarkko Ruutu received for trying to insert his elbow into Maxim Lapierre's nostril, for example (and there are more examples).

So, if you're in the NHL, I suppose it's better to potentially end a player's career, as opposed to not having a filter between your brain and your mouth.